Sweet Redemption Against Germany!!!

No one will ever forget the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil on Germany, back in the 2014 World Cup. Brazil once again had the burden and stress as the host country of another major tournament. Their biggest nightmare became a reality…another match against Germany, this time in the Maracana.

Unlike their 2014 predecessors, Brazil was on point in every single way. The young German team did it’s best, but they were outclassed as the game progressed. When Neymar nailed the first goal via a freekick, that was a clear indication that they were destined for gold.
Max Myer got one back for Germany due to some sloppy defending by the Brazilians. The goal was good, yet the amount of effort that the German side had to put in order to push back the Brazilians was underwhelming. Then again, the Brazilians failed to impress shortly after Neymar’s goal. With so much possession and open opportunities, Brazil should had nailed at least another two goals.

After Myer’s goal, Brazil and Germany were more even in almost every single way. While the Germans were not all that impressive as a whole unit, the Brazilians were not that far behind. The heavy reliance on Neymar from 2014 reared its ugly head at several points during the match. One could have thought that Brazil expected Neymar to do everything for the team. Yes, he played a great match, and he was the best player for the most part. Now imagine if the team had let down it’s guard just for assuming that Neymar was going to win the match on his own.

Regular time and extra time was not enough for Brazil and Germany, so a penalty shootout was the only way go. On the fifth round of the penalty shootout, Nils Peterson failed score. Up next was Neymar. The pressure of a whole country was on his shoulders for that crucial moment. The pressure was lifted off as he scored the game winning penalty.

With this gold medal victory, Brazil is now officially the most successful national team in the world, with multiple championships in different competitions. The two year championship drought came to an end.

This question came to the mind of many, was this redemption for Brazil? Yes; it is redemption because of the fact that they beat Germany for the gold medal. For the first time since the 2002 World Cup, Brazil beat Germany in a final. Yet, it’s not revenge? There are two key factors as to why not. Germany beat Brazil 7-1. If Brazil had beaten Germany in similar fashion, then definitely, it would have been sweet revenge. There is also the fact that none of the 2014 players participated in this match; Neymar does not count since he was injured in the semifinal.

Regardless, Brazil truly deserved the gold medal. After three lackluster tournaments, Brazil has once again asserted itself as one of the best teams in the world. It’s a dream come true for Brazil, winning another major championship at home.

Just maybe, Brazil might go on another four decade undefeated streak at home.